Eastern and Southern Africa

On the eve of World Wildlife Day (3 March) a set of recommendations on engaging communities in combating the illegal wildlife trade (IWT) at the source has been issued by a group of more than 70 researchers, community representatives, government officials, UN agencies and NGOs from five continents. …

At the invitation of French President François Hollande, IUCN’s Director General, Inger Andersen, travelled with a high-level delegation this week to the Philippines to see first-hand the impacts of climate change on the island nation and mobilise support for a global climate deal which is expected to be signed later this year in Paris. …

In the early hours of a snowy Saturday morning in New York, United Nations delegates took a historic step towards safeguarding the global ocean commons. Government representatives at a UN meeting agreed to launch a formal preparatory process for a global and legally-binding instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. …

Reptiles are among Madagascar's most bewildering creatures but nearly 40% of them are facing an elevated risk of extinction according to The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. A study published today in the journal PLOS ONE says that successful management of Madagascar’s protected areas is crucial to the survival of many of these species. …

With poachers responsible for more than half of ranger deaths over the past two years, IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the International Ranger Federation (IRF) call for a toughened stance against wildlife crime globally, marking World Ranger Day celebrated across the globe on 31 July. … | French | Spanish

We depend on land for everything essential: food, water, shelter. When land loses its function and productivity - how should we go about restoring it? Where do we start? How shall we pay for it? A new framework for decision-making helps answer these questions, using the simple but powerful lens of economic analysis.
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RuneScape has joined United for Wildlife to raise awareness of the illegal trade of rhino horn. A multiplayer online role-playing game, RuneScape has millions of players around the world and takes place in a fantasy world called Gielinor, made up of kingdoms, regions and cities. …

Delegates from over 100 governments met last month in Doha during the 38th World Heritage Committee meeting to take decisions on new and existing World Heritage sites. As usual, IUCN experts were there to give advice on natural World Heritage and the action needed to assure its conservation. The outcomes of the meeting are now available online in English and French. …